Life is Strange: Aftermath
by Tangent101
Summary: In the wake of the storm that devastated Arcadia Bay, Chloe drives Max, her best friend and love, home to Seattle.
1. Chapter 1

_Author Notes: Several months back I wrote this up as my continuation of the **Life is Strange** storyline, like so many before me. I paused for now because Max's parents weren't really talking to me, and other stories have been telling me to write them... but I figured I'd share what I've got. I'll likely see if I can wrap this up in the future, though I'll not include the twist that would start up the next part if I do that - it's not fair to tease you all! Anyway, enjoy!_

 **Aftermath**

by R. A. Howard

We'd been driving up for hours.

Well, I say we. But I was the one behind the wheel. Max just... sat there staring out the window as the world passed us by. Just staring since we'd passed through the devastation of Arcadia Bay, until finally she'd drifted off to sleep. I only- I only stopped once, when we passed a body while driving through town. Someone had draped a blanket over the body. The blanket couldn't have been caused by the storm. It couldn't be. But there was nothing, no one else to be seen.

It hadn't been even an hour since the storm, that huge tornado, ripped through our hometown. In all the movies, there's a rainbow that appears after the storm passes but I didn't see one. Okay, I didn't exactly look very hard. I have to admit I was scared of what else I might see. More bodies... Mom. Hell, even step-douche. I might detest him but I don't want him dead. Especially not after he saved Max – or, at least he did in another timeline, one where... the road blurred before me and I scrubbed my eyes free of tears.

For all the devastation, my pickup was somehow untouched. The house... not so much. I didn't dare go in, not even to try and grab clothes or anything. What if using her powers to save me causes another storm? It's time to stop taking stupid risks. Time to grow up.

Well, okay. I'd also stopped for gas an hour ago as well, though Max never opened her eyes when I asked if she needed a pee break. I felt nervous leaving her alone but I really needed to go. I locked her in, more to keep her safe than anything else. But she hadn't stirred when I came back.

Was I selfish? Asking Max to go back in time, to let me die? How many people died? Is there anyone left? How can I live with this? How can Max? But... but she's been through hell. She told me I'm all that matters to her, that she wouldn't trade me for the lives of Arcadia Bay. I don't deserve it. I am selfish. I put Max through hell. I put Mom and step—my stepfather through hell. Yet Max chose me.

She loves me. She truly loves me. And me? I don't know. I'm so confused. It's so easy to say I love her. She means everything to me. I thought I loved Ra- Rachel. This doesn't feel the same. I just know I'll always be with Max. Forever.

So we're going home. To Seattle. I didn't ask Max. She's just slumped against the corner of the seat, her face turned toward the passenger side window, which barely reflected her face in the darkness. Yeah it would be great to just hare off, go to San Fransisco... or Portland even... but not yet. Our phones are useless lumps right now. I think they got soaked during the storm or something. I know Max's parents have to be freaking out, worried sick for their daughter. Word's got to have gotten out about Arcadia Bay. And Max... after this shit week I think she needs something ordinary.

I glanced over at Max. Her eyes were still closed, the full moon illuminating her pale face, as did the lights of southbound traffic. It would be so nice to just pull over at a truck stop and curl up with her. Just sleep. But it wouldn't be too much longer. I didn't want to wake her but... I'd memorized the route to her home once, going through Tillamook and then heading north until I picked up Route Five. I wanted to just go on the road, track her down. Ask her why she'd left, why she'd stopped talking to me. And then she came back on her own. She returned to my side. I'd be lost without her.

I reached over to her, taking her hand in mine, and she started, her hand clenching mine hard as she gasped. "Chloe?" Her voice cracked; my heart breaking at the fear and isolation echoing in her voice.

"I'm here, Max. We'll be home in another hour I think. I've never been to Seattle before," I said, keeping my voice steady. She'd been there for me. I had to be there for her now.

"Home? Wha-?" She sounded so sleepy and confused. Aww Max, shit. I had to resist pulling over and kissing that precious face... oh, fuck it. The truck tires vibrated as they hit grooving in the pavement and I came to a stop. She looked confused and then startled as I slid over and pressed my face to hers, smelling my body wash on her. She'd stayed with me after we told... after we'd turned in her art teacher, Mark Jefferson, the bastard responsible for so much shit including the death of Rachel Amber. We hid in my family's house to stay safe. I'd teased her and joked I was going to join her in the shower. And we'd even shared our second kiss while on my bed. That felt like it happened ages ago, not just yesterday.

My face burned as my lips brushed hers and I felt her arm around my neck, pulling me close, her lips pressed against mine, her teeth nipping at my upper lip for a moment before I pulled away, smiling at the light that'd returned to her eyes. We hadn't kissed back at the lighthouse when she'd torn up the photo, eliminating any chance of going back to let me die. It hadn't been the right moment to kiss her. Not after the storm.

I'd held her close, sheltered her from the storm, watching as it ripped my- our childhood home apart. I'm just so happy to be with her. When I'm with her my anxieties just... fade. I felt heat radiating from her and a barely-heard "wowser" had my lips quirking into a grin. I barely kept from laughing. Wowser. Oh girl, when I get you into bed I'm going to wowser you alright. No, Chloe. No. Take it slow.

I let out my breath, why had I been holding it? Oh yeah. Kissing. No, not now. "Yeah, home. Unless your phone's working again. Gotta tell the Caulfield Clan I'm making an honest woman outta you. And they're hella worried, I'm sure."

"Chloe!" I could hear the blush in her exclamation. Don't let her dwell on the past. Of course I could start kissing... no, down Chloe. I squeezed her hand and then forced myself back to behind the wheel. I put the pickup back into gear and pulled back onto the highway, glancing over to my partner with a smile.

"I'd always wanted to do this, you know," I said. I looked back at the road, my eyes sadder. Lights from northbound traffic left light sweeping over her face, reminiscent of the lighthouse. "I know I gave you grief over never writing. I could have as well. I just... after you stopped responding I didn't know if you still wanted to be friends. So I kinda came up with this plan. Track you down. Confront you in person. Ask- ask why..."

"Chloe, I'm sorry," my heart clenched in my chest at the pain in her voice and I glared over at Max.

"No. That's in the past. I'm sorry. I coulda written more too! Not given up when I did. Or something. It wasn't fair to blame you. But... I did want to visit so..." I trailed off as I squinted in the distance, a green-and-white sign coming into view along with the red signs warning of road construction. Yeah, right. When is it not road construction season?

"It's two exits," Max said, leaning forward and squinting to look at the upcoming sign.

"Thanks, partner. I don't know what I'd do without you," I said back, letting my right hand drift from the wheel. After a moment I felt Max take it into her own and I had to remember to breathe again. Why am I so happy all at once? And scared?

We stayed like that, a quiet word back and forth, holding hands, until finally the exit approached. I gave Max one last squeeze and then reluctantly pulled my hand away, our fingertips lingering for one last moment before I returned my hand to the coldness of the steering wheel. There was still traffic despite the late hour, the moon high in the sky; it had to be approaching midnight.

Max was leaning forward now, watching the road, and I could sense her growing trepidation as we left the main roads and started to travel through the suburbs. I made sure to travel under the speed limit to give her more time to catch landmarks, no matter that I just wanted to get us there. Finally I took my hand off the wheel again and grabbed her hand as I heard her start to hyperventilate. "It's okay, Max. Are we about there?"

"Yeah. Just... take this right..." I turned right and then following her cues took the next left and then three streets down a final right. I'd never have found it on my own when I was 16. I'd have been circling through Seattle's streets forever. 50 years later, old me would eventually run into old Max and we'd laugh our asses off over my getting hopelessly lost... "...it's just ahead."


	2. Chapter 2

Aftermath

Part 2

by R. A. Howard

"...it's just ahead."

I looked up at the wall of tall buildings surrounding us, my heart pounding in my chest. Okay, they were only like five or six stories tall but back home there was nothing like this! I always called Arcadia Bay a hick town; those words echoed in my head. Max reached past me to point a building as we started past it and I looked ahead for parking but there was nothing available. I stopped the truck and glanced out the driver's side and across the street to the apartment building.

When I'd thought of Max living in Seattle, I'd always thought she'd be living the big life. She'd have a huge house with extra rooms where if she'd only thought to ask she could have taken in me and Mom. The works. This place looked... like nothing I'd imagined for Max. No home, just some apartment peering out into a busy street. The only bit of nature were small trees planted along the sidewalk as an afterthought, all shaped and artificial. They definitely weren't big enough to climb, I'd probably risk breaking them if I tried to get up in the branches. There were definitely no tree house forts here for wayward pirates to dwell in.

Max's arm trembled and I glanced back at her to see her eyes were filled with tears, her shoulders shuddering. I reached over and rubbed her shoulder. "Easy, Max. Where do your parents park?"

She shrugged, struggling with words, and swallowed a couple of times. The blast of a horn behind us startled us both and I glared behind us, flipping the bird to some motorist who'd been stuck behindus for a minute. I turned back and started driving again. Max looked at me, her eyes still panicked, as I snorted, and I smiled over at her, keeping my eyes on the road. "Sorry. It's just- I was just thinking of how if I'd tried to find you on my own I'd end up driving through Seattle until we both were old and grey. Looks like that's still gonna be our fa-"

"Chloe! There!" Max pointed and I turned my head where she pointed. A car with a pizza delivery sign was pulling out of the space. I took a chance and pulled a cookie, or at least I tried to. The road wasn't exactly wide enough to pull off the u-turn, not with cars parked along the side of the street. I had to back up a little, pissing off traffic on both sides of the street before I finally straightened out and pulled into the space, the rear of my truck sticking out at first.

"Welp, we're here!" I said with a grin. She gave me a reproachful stare and I slunk down and stared behind me. Fine, fine, I didn't want to get hit anyway. I waited for a hole in traffic and pulled out before backing into the space, my rear tire riding up on the curb initially before I finally straightened us out. Max had her eyes closed and was drawing in slow trembling breaths.

"You okay, Maximillian?" I asked and after a pause she nodded. "Well, at least we're only a few buildings away from your place. Not that much of a walk." I rubbed her shoulder as she leaned up against me.

"I'm scared," Max whispered, and I pressed my head against hers as we both stared out the windshield toward her apartment building. "I don't want to lose you."

"Please. It's not like I took their daughter's virginity or anything. Yet." I winked at her and watched as Max's cheeks reddened. "At the very least we should let them know you're okay. And use the bathroom. I kind of really have to go."

"I've got dibs. _You_ at least went back when you stopped for gas." She sighed and unlocked the door, popping it open and slid out. I shimmied across the seat and exited through her door, slamming it shut without bothering to lock it. I very much doubted anyone would steal it. I'd only locked the door earlier to keep Max safe.

"You were welcome to take a pee break with me," I told her as we hurried up the street, brushing past the late-night crowd. "Or tell me you needed a break before we got here," I added, catching the door for the apartment building just as someone else exited the building, no doubt off to drink the night away. I wished I could do that... but my nightmares were going to be bad enough. I didn't need booze intensifying them.

Max paused at the buzzer as I slipped in and I turned toward her, grinning as I let the door slip from my fingers. She sprang toward it, keeping the door open, and grumbled "I should buzz them, let them know-"

"I just want to get this over with. And I gotta pee," I said and half-skipped toward the elevator. That girl had to have a bladder made of steel, I swear. I just wanted to get this over with, and having the Caulfield family reunion in front of the apartment building with both of us needing to pee desperately... yeah, that was not a good idea.

Max caught up to me as I started nervously pressing the button over and over again. A gentle touch from her stopped my nervous button-pushing. Naturally the elevator chose that moment to open and Max let out a nervous giggle. We stepped in and my fingers hovered over a new set of buttons. "Um... what floor?"

"Fifth, and don't push all the buttons," Max said with a mock glare. I rolled my eyes and pushed the fifth and sixth button, giving her a playful raspberry in response.

"You are not the boss of me," I said, and as the elevator shuddered into motion I quickly pressed the ground floor button as well. With the second floor ding, I hit that button as well.

Max mock-smacked my fingers. "You are such a brat. My parents hated when I'd do that."

"Hah! I knew you pressed all the buttons before! Taking away all my fun, meanie" I said. Max beat me to the third button, pressing it as the elevator dinged past the floor. "Hey, that was mine!"

"You snooze you lose," Max grinned at me, her earlier nervousness... well, it was still there. I could see it reflected in the back of her eyes, with the nervous tremble of her hand. We both hit the fourth floor button at the same moment and I grinned at her, taking her hand into mine.

The elevator shuddered to a stop with one last ding and the door squeaked as it opened. I stepped out, pulling Max after me, and then leaned in and quickly kissed her. She stared back up at me, her hand on my cheek, and smiled up at me. "What was that for?"

"Can't I kiss my girl when I want to?" I smiled down at her and then looked away. "Um, which way to your place? I'll let you have dibs but I _really_ have to go!"

"Yeah, me too," she said and then tugging my hand led me to the left and stopped three doors down on the wall facing away from the street. "Here we are," her voice trembled and I gave her hand a quick squeeze, continuing to hold on but half-hiding behind her as she reached up with her other hand and knocked on the door.


End file.
